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REVIEW: STEVE JOBS

Will Steve Jobs Ever Be Given a Biographical Film Deemed Worthy of Our Standards?

Steve Jobs is the biographical film about the tech genius who co-created, Apple, one of the biggest companies in the world, even among the constant trials and tribulations in his life.

As the credits rolled at the end of the film, I couldn’t help but feel confused at what I had just watched. I didn’t know what I thought about the end result. What I was sure about was the performances of both Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet. Their portrayal in their respected roles as Steve Jobs and Joanna Hoffman was nothing short of incredible. Along with these two great “heavy-hitters,” Jeff Daniels also shined as the former Apple CEO, John Sculley. Daniels’ best scene in the film is one between him and Fassbender shortly before the product launch of Jobs’ new company NEXT. Aaron Sorkin’s (A Few Good Men, The Social Network) talent for writing dialogue between characters is what I loved about this film, which is to no surprise.

Though Sorkin’s screenplay talents will probably make him one of the greatest screenwriters to ever live, I was a little disappointed at his work on this film. The overall depth of each character’s performance satisfied me, as well as the lengthy dialogue for those tension-ridden scenes. But what was unsatisfying, in my opinion, was the films negativity. I understand that Jobs was a hard man to work for, so the actions of his character was not surprising. I expected him to be harsh. What I mean is the negativity in portraying Jobs as nothing more than mediocre, with a constant bombardment of his failed personal relationships throughout his life. It became quite annoying to me, when I felt the film only went on and on about his failures. Whether it was the relationship between him and his daughter (whom he denied paternity of throughout the film) or the constant annoyance of Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen), these annoyances really weighed the film down. I know people are saying this is Rogen at his best, but I found him to be nothing short of a nuisance. However, in the last 20 minutes, the film shows how gifted Jobs really was. That he and Apple could have created miraculous gadgets had certain events not transpired.

Though Steve Jobs failed to meet my expectations, it is not a horrible movie. There are many problems I have with this film, however I don’t have enough space or the attention span, to write them all out. Had it not been for the terrific acting and dialogue, this film would probably be getting a lower rating. Too often did it convey that annoying feeling, and become too repetitive. Steve Jobs wanted to be that excellent movie, but sadly failed in the process.